5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage... (Philippians 2) Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble. ― Andrew Murray. When I was young, I was a good basketball player. And I knew it. I would play with guys much older than me and beat them. [...]

I have been writing a good bit of poetry and fiction over the past 4 years that I've reserved for conventional publication. I've finally reached a point where I feel the desire to share some of it with you who read my work and respond so graciously. These pieces do not directly address topics of faith and mental illness, but they are examples of how one person of faith who struggles with mental illness finds a measure of healing in the written word. I wrote the core of this poem the day I received word that my ex-wife had accepted the terms of our divorce. It also happened to be my birthday. I drive through my hometown; Nothing is the same. Heinz’s Grocery is gone; Bud’s Bait Shop is boarded up; The school has been torn down. My lawyer calls; Everything is settled. Joint custody, [...]